Active discussions

Best Amazon Prime Day deals: Mumsnet favourites

Best Amazon Prime Day deals:
Mumsnet favourites

Shop now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Isolde or Zelie?

32 replies

TIPosy · 12/04/2019 15:31

Hello,

Pregnant with our fourth and just learnt today it is a little girl. Smile

After Josephine, Iris and Theodore, we hesitate a bit. I’m french and my husband loves the name Zélie (pronounced Zay-lee), with also Isolde as a contender.

What are your thoughts?

Other contenders are Eleanor (but after Theodore?), Phoebe, Rose (but with Iris?), Florence, Beatrice.

Thanks. :)

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
wendywoopywoo222 · 12/04/2019 15:39

I wouldn't know how to pronounce either of them so you may spend a lot of time explaining or correcting people.

bridgetreilly · 12/04/2019 15:45

I love Isolde. I would find a name with an accent a bit irritating, tbh.

AnnaMagnani · 12/04/2019 15:47

Isolde is lovely but there was a recent thread which established most UK people were going to pronounce it Isold-er

Zelie is even nicer but even tougher for an English person to pronounce a French sounding Z.

Depends how much you can live with this!

daisypond · 12/04/2019 15:55

Zélie is lovely. I prefer it to Isolde.

Quintella · 12/04/2019 15:58

I've never heard of Zélie before but I like it. Isolde is okay but a bit of a cumbersome word. Nicer written than said aloud.

TrixieFranklin · 12/04/2019 16:11

I don't know how either are pronounced.
The second I would guess as being Nelly with a Z (so rhymes with Jelly), the first I wouldn't know where to start trying.

EngagedAgain · 12/04/2019 16:17

I would go with Eleanor or Josephine. Did you mean Theodora, as I thought Theodore was a male name?

Starlight39 · 12/04/2019 16:18

I like Rose or Florence best. I do like Isolde but not 100% sure on how to pronounce the end bit! I'm not so sure on Zélie.

Original poster
TIPosy · 12/04/2019 16:21

Hi EgagedAgain, those are the names of my existing children. Josephine, Iris and Theodore. :)

OP posts:
small2018 · 12/04/2019 16:41

Go with Zelie!!

EngagedAgain · 12/04/2019 16:51

I'd go with Eleanor, Phoebe or Florence. In no particular order 😬 Rose I think is maybe too much with Iris but I think Eleanor is ok with Theodore. Great choice of names all round.

Calixtine · 12/04/2019 17:06

I love Isolde but Zélie is pretty too and I’d probably go with that to avoid repeating initials.

ZebraKid71 · 12/04/2019 17:45

I lo ve Zelie, but dh vetoed 😭

Peachbubble · 12/04/2019 17:56

I think Isolde or Zelie may cause confusion over their pronunciation. From your other contenders, I like Florence.

KingHenrysCodpiece · 12/04/2019 22:03

Love both of them!

DramaAlpaca · 12/04/2019 22:21

I love Zelie, it's unusual & beautiful (sorry, can't do the accent on the 'e')

MercyBodle · 13/04/2019 03:12

I would cross off Eleanor because you have Theodore - people constantly saying Roosevelt would be too annoying. Also cross off Rose since you have Iris. I like both Zelie and Isolde, but preferring the more feisty and unusual Isolde (if you don't mind having 2 'I' names). I also like Florence and Beatrice, but Isolde is my favourite.

BlackPrism · 13/04/2019 03:18

Eleanor is bori g and will become Ellie, pho eve (friends) and Beatrice (gross). Go for zelie

Pinkybutterfly · 13/04/2019 03:23

I like zelie. Also love margarita.

Jessabean · 13/04/2019 04:51

I like Isolde - was never aware of a pronunciation issue with it before as to me its pronounced I-zold but see that some may pronounce it I-zol-dah - still think it's a lovely name - could be Izzy for short! Could go Isobel (or Isabelle but I prefer Scottish spelling) as an alternative option?
Zelie is cute as well- not sure how pronunciation differs in french and if this would annoy you if very different from the English way of saying it.

Of your others I like Florence the best - don't exactly dislike Rose Eleanor or Beatrice but as pp said Eleanor will be shortened to Ellie which I'm not personally keen on, Rose and Ivy is perhaps a bit much though wouldn't rule it out if you really like it- maybe Rosie instead? - and Beatrice just seems such a harsh name compared with all you previous children's names.

Original poster
TIPosy · 13/04/2019 06:39

MercyBodle, thanks I never thought of the Roosevelt association... Hmm Was more concerned with the similar ending sound but having siblings with same names as two famous married persons sounds a bit incestuous actually... Confused Will definitely avoid that one.

I think I need to go back to the drawing table and rethink a name a bit closer to Josephine and Iris. Classic and timeless but not too common. Nothing feels quite right at the moment. Got a few months to get my head around it hopefully.

Thank you for all the feedback! Smile

OP posts:
howtocomplain · 13/04/2019 06:42

Love Isolde!

Whereareyouspot · 13/04/2019 06:45

Sylvie
Claudia
Claudette
Amelie (although quite well used in uk)
Marie
Anais
Dorothea
Laurelie

NewMum19344567 · 13/04/2019 06:45

How do you pronounce the name Isolde? I love zeile, may be hard to spell or pronounce growing up but is a beautiful name that matches the other children and it's nice you get to bring your french heritage in!

mathanxiety · 13/04/2019 07:22

I love Zelie.

Prefer Iseult over Isolde, which I always have to look at again because my brain registers 'solid'.